Taiwan Today

's large-bore motorcycle riders are gaining more freedom on the roads.

On a cool Saturday morning in October, a group of 20 middle-aged men gather in a suburb, attracting attention from more than a few passersby. For most onlookers, a double take is in order for this fleet of sturdy, sleek and expensive large-displacement BMW motorcycles. "It's high season again for motorcycling enthusiasts. Summer is just too warm in and less suitable for us to hit the road," says Lin Chao-ming, 46, leader of the group ready to ride to Chiayi, 260 kilometers south of .

Broadly speaking, big bikes have engine displacements larger than 250 cc, though 550 cc may be a more apt dividing line between big bikes and their smaller brethren in . However, larger motorcycles are still a relative rarity on the island partly because of the decades-long ban on the registration and importation of 150 cc and larger motorcycles, which ended only about five years ago. Most people see them as luxuries for rich people. The price tag on a new BMW or Harley-Davidson can easily be higher than NT$1 million (US$30,000). Japanese models are less expensive than their Western counterparts, but generally cost no less than NT$400,000 (US$12,000)--about the same as an economy car. New Taiwan-made two-wheelers ranging from 50 cc to 150 cc are much cheaper, anywhere from NT$30,000 to $60,000 (US$900 to $2,000).

Some Assembly Required

Some businesses used to get around the importation ban by buying motorcycle parts as "salvage parts" from abroad and assembling them in . "I've had passion for motorcycles since I was in my late teens," Lin says. "I was dying for a big one." He bought his first big bike more than a decade ago, a Honda that was assembled in after the parts were imported from .

Like other big bike enthusiasts at the time, Lin had to ride an unlicensed bike and face the risk of being fined. So did Huang De-shun, the head of the Taipei-based Taiwan Harley Club, which was founded in 2001. Huang says that in his experience, police tended to turn a blind eye to violators. "I was stopped by the police several times but I was never fined," says the 54-year-old Harley lover, who likes the venerable American brand mainly for its distinctive exhaust roar. "Generally, it was okay as long as you didn't break the traffic rules."

Nevertheless, big bike riders faced the daily risk of being questioned and fined for riding without proper licenses--until 2002, when joined the World Trade Organization. As a condition of WTO membership, had to open its market to a range of imports, including high-end motorcycles. 's government lifted the ban on the importation of bikes larger than 150 cc in July that year, six months after gaining admission to the WTO.

"It's safer to ride a bike as it was originally assembled than a reassembled one," says Jack Hsieh, who repairs and retrofits motorcycles. Hsieh thinks the ban was implemented partly to increase road safety, but the resultant underground trade in reassembled bikes proved counterproductive. He welcomes the new policy, which has sparked a phenomenal rise in the number of big bike owners. But he thinks the government should relax restrictions even more. "Riders like to customize their bikes, but there are so many unnecessary rules in that limit the alteration of motorcycles," he says. "You have much more freedom to retrofit motorbikes in ."

Once larger motorcycles were allowed, the categorization system had to be revised correspondingly. In the past, motorcycles fell into two categories, with 50 cc serving as the dividing line between "light" and "heavy" bikes. Now there are three categories: light, 50 cc and smaller; heavy, between 51 cc and 250 cc; and "big heavy," larger than 250 cc. Traffic and licensing regulations went into place one month before the import ban was lifted.

That was when Seichi Liu, a BMW motorcycle dealer who has long sold the German two-wheelers to the government for use by police here, started to sell them to private purchasers like Lin Chao-ming. "I was the only [BMW] dealer before the ban was lifted. Now there are about five," says the 71-year-old, an active big bike enthusiast who moonlights as a driving instructor for police officers. Lin has organized a club whose members travel around the island together from time to time. Pan German Motors, the sales agent for BMW in , holds an annual gathering for its customers, with the last one taking place in Kenting in southern in November.

"It's like a pilgrimage. Every club member puts the event on their must-do list," Lin says. In Kenting, bikers from around exchanged stories about their favorite pastime.

Some businesses have begun renting big bikes out in response to demand from young enthusiasts who cannot yet afford to purchase the bikes of their dreams. "By renting bikes, you can try different models before you decide on the one you really love," says customer Zen Huang, 32, who usually rents a 400 cc Japanese dirt bike at a shop in for NT$2,800 (US$85) per day and is a member of a 1,200-strong riding club. "A Harley is like a moving sofa. It's quite comfortable if you travel a long distance, but it isn't as fast as Japanese models," he says, noting some Japanese bikes boast a maximum speed of more than 300 kilometers per hour.

Safety in Numbers

"To be safe, beginners should ride a 250 cc bike at most; only after you have enough experience with the bike and join the club are you allowed to ride larger ones," says David Tou, 40, who joined the club four years ago.

When asked why big bike riders tend to ride in groups--most ride big bikes for pleasure rather than as a means of transportation--both Lin Chou-ming and Tou say safety is the major concern. "You would have trouble if you rode alone and had an accident," Lin explains. "You know, many BMW riders are over 40. Most would have difficulty picking up a fallen bike, which could weigh as much as 400 kilograms." Riders of the faster, lighter and less-expensive Japanese models tend to be younger and in good shape, so they may not need help picking up their bikes, but may need strength in numbers to prevent being picked on by unsavory types. Tou says he has heard of lone riders being beaten up by jealous youths.

Nonetheless, the overall environment is becoming more favorable for big bike enthusiasts, thanks to activists who have pushed for the relaxation of road restrictions. "We used to pay a much higher plate fee than average car owners, but didn't enjoy the same right to use the roads," says Chen Li-yun, a leading activist.

According to Chen, a motorcycle dealer and enthusiast, the owner of a 601 cc or larger motorcycle had to pay an annual NT$23,000 (US$700) license plate fee in the past, much higher than the plate fee for an economy car with a similar engine capacity. With support from politicians, including former lawmaker Chen Chien-ming, himself a motorcycle enthusiast, the plate fee has gradually decreased and is now quite reasonable: For 601 cc to 1,200 cc bikes, the fee is currently NT$4,320 (US$130), equal to the plate fee for cars in this range.

Meanwhile, some motorcyclists are gaining broader rights. In 2002, all motorcycles were restricted from expressways. But starting on January 1, 2005, motorcycles with a displacement of at least 250 cc were given access to two expressways that experience relatively low-volume traffic on 's west coast--for a combined distance of 50 kilometers. This Ministry of Transportation and Communications pilot project assessed the potential risks resulting from allowing big bikes on multilane highways. The pilot project helped "in the drafting of measures for reducing these risks," says Liu Shih-ming, who heads up the motor vehicle section at the ministry's railways and highways department.

Motorcycling Milestone

Nearly three years later, motorcycling activists reached another milestone, when on November 1, 2007, bikes with 550 cc and larger engines were allowed to operate on city fast lanes and on expressways with posted speed limits ranging from 70 to 90 kilometers per hour. Freeways, with upper speed limits of between 90 and 110 kilometers per hour, remain forbidden territory for all motorcycles. The ministry's Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau, however, is looking into whether to remove this roadblock to total motorcycling freedom. An assessment report is expected by the end of this year. "It's better to relax restrictions gradually," says Seichi Liu. "Taiwanese are not completely courteous on the road. If freeways were open to bikes right now, there would be a sharp rise in the number of casualties stemming from accidents, and then the ban would come back within a month of its lifting."

Liu Shih-ming says, "In principle, bikes with 550 cc and larger engines are grouped in the same category as compact sedans, although the authorities can specifically ban their operation on certain road sections." Riders of larger bikes can now make left turns directly instead of following the two-stage left-turn rule that remains in effect for riders of smaller motorcycles. At the same time, like cars, big bikes must display license plates both front and rear. Motorcyclists say the front plate is awkward to affix and unsightly.

With the new rules, licensing tests have been revised. Initially all motorists with 250 cc and larger bikes took the same test, but two separate tests have been held for 250 cc to 549 cc motorcycle riders and riders of larger bikes since last November.

Both car drivers and bikers have to adapt to the new situation. One of the classic problems motorcycle drivers face every day on expressways around the world is that car drivers often fail to compensate for the fact that motorcycles in front of them take up less of their field of vision than a car would and are thus more likely to tailgate. This is of special concern since motorcycles can stop much more quickly than even the smallest cars and are thus in serious danger of being rear-ended in emergency situations.

Also of concern is that some drivers may let their tempers flare when seeking to overtake motorcycles they see as "hogging" the lane. In fact, since motorcyclists have the same rights and duties as other motorists, they should not be squeezing right to allow cars to overtake them. By the same token, they should not be ducking over to the shoulder or squeezing between lanes to overtake cars. On city streets, there is some concern that riders of smaller motorcycles will unthinkingly follow larger motorcycles and thus unwittingly break the law on left turns. These and other potential problems highlight the importance of the government's public education efforts regarding new rights for big bike riders.

Nearly all the 250 cc and larger bikes in are imports from , Europe and . "They feature advanced designs and technology," Huang De-shun says, explaining why foreign companies dominate the domestic big bike market. Local motorcycle and scooter manufacturers still concentrate on making bikes with engine displacements of less than 150 cc. Some are manufacturing bigger models now, but they are meant for export markets. There are more than 13 million motorcycles of all sizes in currently, with fewer than 15,000 boasting 550 cc or larger engines. With more reasonable plate fees and the promise of more open roads, the latter number is bound to increase quickly. Chen Li-yun says, "Once you start riding a big bike, you will definitely become addicted."

Two-wheeled Voyage to

Musician Matthew Lien moves to the rhythm of the road and his BMW engine on 's highways and byways.

"Riding a big bike is the best way to see the beauty of ," says Matthew Lien, a composer and performer of environmental music who first came to a decade ago, after his album Bleeding Wolves went multi-platinum here. " has these beautiful mountains and this great coastline. And riding a motorcycle is the ideal way to travel between small aboriginal villages," he adds. Lien decided to buy a 1,100 cc BMW bike last year. It has proven useful for riding from to Taitung in southeastern , where he recently spent much of his time recording music for a documentary about nearby , also known as Lanyu.

Lien began a lifelong passion for motorbikes at 10, when his father gave him a dirt bike as a gift shortly after they moved from to 's . "This is my seventh bike, but I've only ever owned two cars," he says. "I don't like being inside something that separates me from the elements. So I think riding a bike is a better way to get around. Before cars existed, I would have ridden a horse instead of riding in a carriage."

The musician owns a 1,340 cc Harley in , where bikers often travel hundreds of kilometers between towns, because the model is comfortable to ride on long-distance trips. Besides, the roads in are not as tortuous as they are in . "The roads can be extremely winding here, and this BMW, a sport touring bike, is able to handle the turns much better," he explains.

Taking at least six and half hours, the motorcycle trip to Taitung is worthwhile despite some minor gripes: Some road sections are bumpy and some of 's drivers are road hogs. "I often compose music and lyrics in my mind while riding my bike. It's a good way for me to stay creative," he says. The travel time will be greatly shortened if 550 cc and larger bikes are allowed on freeways in the future, including the one connecting and Yilan on 's northeast coast. Yilan is the gateway to eastern coastal towns like Taitung further south. "The freeway is convenient when you want to save time or when the weather is bad," he says. However, if he has the time and the weather is on his side, he would prefer to take the mountain road that had been the main link between and Yilan until the freeway opened to traffic in June 2006. Lien says, "I like the mountain road more now, because nobody is on it anymore."

--By Oscar Chung

Write to Oscar Chung at oscar@mail.gio.gov.tw